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The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on Monday said that
by Oct. 2, it would begin the enforcement of minimum safety standards for
trucks operating in the nation’s ports.

The Apapa Port Manager, Mr Anas Nasir, said the
proposed exercise was to ensure the trucks met basic safety requirements for
operations.

“We are coming up with minimum standards for the
trucks, which we are going to start enforcing from Oct. 2, 2014.

“Trucks must meet some minimum standards of safety
requirements like their carriage, their tryes, their breaking system and their
particulars, to start with,” the port manager said.

Nasir, however, said that the compliance process would
be a gradual one, to enable all concerned truck operators integrate
understandably.

“It is going to be gradual, because at the beginning,
we have to get some basic things that must be complied with.

“Often times, apart from such challenges as bad roads
outside the port, the trucks are equally bad.

“While we are doing some palliatives on the roads, we
are going to ensure that the trucks are much better to be able to operate,” he
said.

Confirming the proposed exercise,
Chief Remi Ogungbemi, the Chairman, Association of Maritime Truck Owners, said
that the NPA had made it known to them.

“We are aware of NPA’s plan to begin the enforcement
of the standard for the trucks, so it is not going to take us unaware,” he
said.

Ogungbemi said the initiative would encourage people
to maintain their trucks, which would be beneficial to all.

It has been observed that a number of the trucks
operating in and out of the ports have become aged and rickety, and thereby,
suffering breakdowns on the roads and obstructing traffic flow, as well as
delaying cargo delivery.